Japanese tend to be quick to warm to a new fad and just as fast to abandon it.
But the recent boom in drinking vinegar is showing signs of hanging around, as firms put out a wider variety of fruit-flavored vinegar drinks.
"I feel refreshed when I drink vinegar, especially in summer. I've had apple vinegar for drinking purposes, but now I want to try other fruit vinegars, like litchi and cranberry," said a 36-year-old housewife shopping for vinegar at the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo's Chuo Ward.